Dark Tunnels
by TheOneThatGotAway99
Summary: (Rated T for blood/injury and my own paranoia) A return trip from a day of exploring the underground goes horribly wrong as one thing after another stands against them. The turtles just want to go home, but when shadows come to life and an enemy from long ago comes to seek revenge, will the brothers all make it out? Or will they be forever lost in those ever winding dark tunnels?
1. Almost There

_Author's Notes: Okay, so, this is my first fan fiction chapter story. To those who read my one and only, Alone in A Storm, this is a completely different writing style. Sorry if that is a bad thing. But I am still kind of testing the waters. Hope you understand. Anyways, this is me, trying something new. I want to see if this story is really worth much before I get all into it. Tell me what you think. Honest opinions people. I'm a big girl, I can handle it. I am writing this as I go, which is something VERY different for me. I prefer to have everything finished, edited/rewritten five times, sat on for a week, then think about showing other people, but all my time reading on this website the past few months have inspired me to share my pitiful attempt. And who knows? Maybe someone out there will like it. If chapter one is liked by a few, maybe I will be able to get it done. That is my hope, anyway. So, enough blab outta me. On to Dark Tunnels - Chapter One: Almost There. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I own a turtle! But his name is Terry, and he unfortunately isn't a mutant, teenager, or a ninja. . . but hey, one out of four isn't bad, right? TMNT is not mine. But it would be awesome is they were! Isn't that right, Leo?_

_*Leo glares at me but says nothing.*_

_*I whisper* Strong silent type._

* * *

**Chapter One: Almost There**

* * *

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" This has been the continuous mantra following their trip back from the Underground to the sewers. Don and Leo had elected to ignore their youngest brother's tirade after the first mile of their trek, and no longer rose to the bait. That left only one turtle left to annoy, and he did rise to the bait.

"Mikey, would you shut up?!" Yelled Raphael. When Mikey smiled widely at his success, Raph clenched his fists and pointed at him. "I'm warnin' ya!"

Suppressing a giggle, Mike threw his hands up in mock surrender and ran to hide behind Donnie.

Their journey continued in blessed silence for a while as Mike became placid. For a little while, anyway, until. . .

"Arewethereyet arewethereyet arewethereyet arewethereyet arewethereyet" he continued with renewed vigor.

Leo rubbed his temples and glanced over at Raph, who had his hands pressed firm against his ears trying to block out the noise, and he had to hand it to him. Raph was trying really, really hard to keep his temper. Unfortunately, Mike refused to be ignored and gleefully began circling around his hot-headed brother, chanting relentlessly until, finally, Raph couldn't take anymore. Clenching his fists tight, he came to a halt, nearly causing Mikey to bump into him.

Behind them, Donatello backed up a few steps sighing, "So much for the hope of a quit trip." He settled there, arms crossed over his plastron, shaking his head at the events before him.

Leonardo shook his head in exasperation before stepping closer to his two bickering brothers.

Mikey stood facing Raph, another wicked smile splitting his face. "Whatza matter, Raphie-boy? Getting too old and slow to walk down a tunnel?"

"Mikey!" the hotheaded turtle growled as Mike's laughter rang through the tunnel. "I'm gonna—"

"That's enough!" The blue-banded leader demanded in a calm tone. He stuck his arm between them, creating a small barrier between his warm-colored brothers. When Raph growled again, trying to get passed his arm, Leo said, "This isn't the place to—"

"Outa my way, LEO!"

His indignant growl echoed loudly around them, shaking the walls. A tiny piece of dark rock fell from the ceiling, lightly bouncing off Leonardo's outstretched arm. Just as a low rumble shook the tunnel, Leo roughly shoved his two brothers apart in opposite directions down the tunnel.

Raph skidded on his shell with a crash that seemed much too loud despite his less-than-gentle landing. Using the momentum, he turned into a roll, jumping to his feet and into an aggressive stance, weapons drawn. "What the shell—" Raph started to yell at Leo, intending to demand an explanation. It died in his throat, however, when instead of seeing his big brother, he was faced with a wall of fallen rock right where he, Leo, and Mikey had just been standing only seconds ago, illuminated by his purple-clad brother's flashlight.

* * *

***Diversus Visum***

Donatello watched in horror as the roof collapsed on his oldest brother. He had seen him push both Mikey and Raph away from the falling rock, Raphael landing a few feet behind where Don stood frozen to the spot, but didn't know if Mike had made it out of the way in time.

Leo hadn't.

That thought snapped him out of his petrified state. He ran to the settling mass of stone rubble. Remembering the flashlight held in his hand, he began shining it around the dark stone.

"What the shell—" he heard Raphael start to yell as the hothead came up from his slide across the floor just seconds ago.

Had it only been seconds? Don felt as though he had remained motionless for hours before finally trying to come to his brothers' aid.

"Leo! Mikey! Are you okay?! Guys, where are you?!" Gritty dust settled on his tongue and in his lungs, causing him to cough, but he continued shouting. "Mike! Leo! Can you hear me?!"

He held his breath while he listened with all his being for a single sound from his brothers.

Silence, broken only by the sound of pebbles falling, and a small trickle of water.

No, wait. There was coughing from the other side of the cave in.

"Here! I'm here!" Three of the most beautiful words Don had ever heard, despite the hoarse voice they came in.

"Mike! Mike, are you okay?!"

"Fine. Just dusty," his orange-banded brother announced. "Are Raph and Leo okay? They with you?"

"Raph is here, he's safe. Leo is. . ." he couldn't bring himself to finish.

"'Leo is' what, Don?"

No answer.

"Leo's. . . Leo's not under there, is he?" His voice sounded horrified.

Donatello's silence was answer enough.

* * *

***Diversus Visum***

"Leo!" Michelangelo yelled, frantically digging at the rocks that buried his big brother. "Leo! Can you hear me? Leo!"

Don's voice carried over his cries. "Mikey. Mikey stop! You're causing a landslide over here. Stop digging!"

Instantly, he obeyed, freezing in place. Calling out to his missing brother one last time before falling silent.

The voice who replied was again that of Donatello. "Mike, do you have your Shell Cell?"

With a confused look, he nodded. Then he remembered the purple-clad turtle couldn't see him. "Yeah. Why?"

"Because mine doesn't have a signal," he explained patiently. "I think it was damaged back at the Underground and now the signal is too weak to call anyone. Does your phone have a signal?"

Confusion forgotten, but panic not yet abandoned, Mikey pulled out his Shell Cell. "Signal. Weak, but it's there. Who do you want me to call?"

Thinking fast, Don replied. "Call Casey and April, tell April to bring any medical supplies I have for treating crush injuries, blunt trauma, and lacerations. I don't know the extent of Leo's injuries, but with all this rock weighing on him, something there ought to come in handy. Make sure Case is there too, I don't want April coming down here alone. She'll need to track us via Shell Cells." He paused a moment to think, and Mike took that time to try memorizing all the important stuff Don had just told him.

_Medical supplies for crush injuries, blunt trauma, lacerations._ He repeated to himself over and over. _Crush injuries, blunt trauma, lacerations._

"Oh geez, I hope he doesn't have a concussion," the brainier turtle almost groaned at the idea.

"Dude, how likely is it he does? What if he does?" he asked, panic and fear flaring up again.

"Relax, Shell-head," Raph said, breaking through the frantic haze that had started to cover his mind. "Just do what Donnie says. Leo'll be fine. Right Don?"

"Y-yeah, of course. If he's concussed, we will deal with it. Call April, get the medical supplies."

"Right, yeah. I'm calling." Mike dialed April's number.

She answered on the second ring. "Hey Mike*static*t's up?"

"April! The tunnel collapsed and Leo is buried and Don needs you to bring medical stuff to help him!" he replied, a little too quickly due to his panic.

"Mi*static*orry, I can't hea*static*ad connectio*static*lo? Hello?"

Mike almost cried when the call cut out. "Donnie, the connection is too bad, the call keeps dropping out. What do I do?"

"The walls might be too thick down here. Go farther down the tunnel and try again. Keep going and trying until you get a good enough signal. Just don't get lost, okay? Remember: crush injuries, blunt trauma, and lacerations. Then call Splinter, he should know, but tell him not to come. Just that the tunnel collapsed, the three of us are okay, and we are working on getting Leo out."

Hesitating a moment, Michelangelo got to his feet. "Yeah. Okay. I won't go far. Back in ten." He took a few steps forward, down the tunnel, before glancing back one last time. "He will be okay, won't he?"

"Yes, Mikey." Though not said aloud the second part of the message hit him like a punch. _I hope so._

And with that hope, he made his way through the gloom in the search for higher cell strength, nearly laughing at the thought despite the situation.

* * *

***Diversus Visum***

Raphael listened as the orange-clad turtle's footsteps faded into silence before turning to Don, kneeling beside him. "So what's the plan, Brainiac? How are we gettin' him outa there?"

The brainier turtle sighed in exasperation at himself, as though annoyed with a difficult decision. "Maybe. . . Maybe we can just push it off; knock it down the tunnel. Now Mikey's out of the way, it would make things easier." Another exasperated sigh. "I just wish I knew exactly where Leo is under all this. For all I know, any attempt to reach him could cause even more damage."

"Don't see sittin' on our tails doin' nothin' helping any." With that, the turtle braced his shoulder up against a large slab of rock that stuck out at an odd angle, causing the debris on top of it to tumble down the opposite direction. The sound of it hitting the ground echoed loudly. Nothing fell on their side of the tunnel, so Raphael continued to shove the slab up and over the pile.

Shoving against another slab, this one larger than the first, he tried to duplicate the previous result. Planting his feet down, he pushed harder, but to no avail. All he accomplished was cutting his hand on a particularly jagged edge.

"You okay?" Donatello asked, shining his light on Raph's work.

He grunted in affirmation. "Just a scratch. You wanna help me move this one?"

Placing the flashlight on the ground so the beam would still illuminate the slowly diminishing rock mound, Don joined him in heaving the slab over. The moment it hit the ground with a loud crash, a crack split the right wall, and more rock began falling around the two turtles. Raphael pulled Don beneath his plastron to keep any debris from hitting his purple-clad brother's head.

When the tremors stopped and nothing more fell around them, Raph stood up pulling Donnie with him, who quickly grasped the flashlight in his hand. The beam hit the right wall where the crack had appeared moments before. Some of the stone had fallen away, leaving a doorway of sorts, just big enough for them to fit through, leading to another tunnel.

"'Least we got a plan B to get outta here," Raph said, with an unusual amount of optimism commonly found in Mikey.

He glanced back at his brother, until a shifting shadow seen from the corner of his eye causes him to double-take towards the new tunnel. Glaring at the spot with narrowed eyes for a fraction of a second, before dismissing it as a trick of the light. He turned back to his brother's stricken face.

"Don, what's. . . ?" He followed the genius turtle's line of sight, and his gaze latched onto what had frozen Donatello in his tracks.

There, sticking limply out from under the rocks before them, was a three-fingered, green hand.

* * *

_Futurus persevero . . . _

[To be continued . . .]

* * *

_Author's Notes: Oh, right, forgot to say that I love cliffhangers, of all sorts. Also, all the story breaks are in Latin. 'Diversus visum' meaning 'different view'. It has no importance in the story, as far as I'm aware, just that I like Latin. Makes things seem final somehow. Anywho, like I said before, tell me what you all think. Tell me if this story is worth the time or if I should switch focus to something else. Concrit happily received, but all flames will be recycled down for use in creating clean energy for a better tomorrow._

_-TheOneThatGotAway99_


	2. Tight Grips

_Author's Notes: Hi peoples! Nice seeing you all again. Three reviews in two weeks. . . Could be worse I guess. Could be better too. I mean seriously, my own sisters didn't even review this! xD Oh well, I promised my sisters, my friends, and myself that I will see this story through to the end. Anyways, I just want to say, sorry this chapter is so short compared to chapter one. Originally I had wanted it to be longer, but I had given myself a deadline of two weeks to publish the second chapter (played around with my one-shots for the first week before finally getting to writing this) and Michelangelo refused to work with me. Every move I made, he was arguing with me! I expected this sort of behavior from Raphael, a bit of misunderstanding from Donatello, and even actual threats against my person from Leonardo, but never did I expect happy-go-lucky little Mikey to fight me tooth and nail in this. Plus, second chapters seriously suck eggs to write. . . Anyway, see you sometime in the next two weeks! Meanwhile, here is Dark Tunnels – Chapter Two: Tight Grips Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or anything related to them in any way. Just ask Leo! *glances over at the pile of rocks that are currently burying him* How ya doing down there, love?_

_*muffled grumble from under the rocks*_

_Don't worry, I'm sure Don and Raph will get you out of there. . . Eventually. . . _

* * *

**Chapter Two: Tight Grips**

* * *

Michelangelo held the phone tight to his ear like a lifeline as his father's calm voice spoke through the speaker, soothing his panic.

"Do not worry, my son. All will be well. Tell me your location. I will assist you and your brothers in aiding Leonardo."

"No no, Master Splinter, it's okay. Donnie said it's best if you stay in the lair." _Now I'm comforting Splinter_, he thought to himself as he convinced his father to stay at home. _If it wasn't for me freaking out after that second 'shake, rattle and roll' he wouldn't've been halfway out the door._

Saying his goodbyes and a final assurance to be home soon as they can, Mikey closed his Shell Cell and tucked it back into his belt; pulling his flashlight out in return. He'd called April first, explaining in rushed detail, giving her the list Don had told him; then called Master Splinter to relay Donnie's message to him as well. It was halfway through that call that Mike had heard the sounds of a second cave in, and his panic sky-rocketed once more.

With a sigh, Mikey started back down the tunnel towards his brothers. He'd been gone longer than he had thought he would, having to go rather far up the tunnel so the signal could be reached.

He soon came to a floor-to-ceiling wall of piled rock. But, wait . . . that was a little too soon. He had only returned about half the distance he had gone before. _This isn't where my brothers are! _Mikey thought. Then he remembered the second tremor. The tunnel must have collapsed here as well.

Standing before the mountainous rock mound, he was just beginning to contemplate clearing a space and climbing through, when something shifted on the edge of his vision.

He turned his flashlight's beam at where the movement had been just a split second ago. Nothing.

Then another flicker of movement seen from the corner of his eye. He whirled around in time to catch a glimpse of a shadow.

He backed up until his shell brushed against the rubble barrier, causing him to jump forward, turning about again. That was a mistake. The shifting shadows, for there were indeed more than one, began to encircle him. Surround him.

Fixing his light on one of them, Mikey shrieked at what he saw.

A solidless form of flickering darkness, roughly the shape of a man. But it gave off a feeling of almost-nothing. Like it wasn't really there. Or rather, that it shouldn't be there, but it was.

The shadows began to circle him, and then seemed to melt into the ground. Pointing his light downward, he saw the dark forms start to swirl around his feet. Faster and faster.

He let out a final ear-piercing girlish shriek before being pulled down into the black whirlpool.

* * *

***Diversus Visum***

It took seconds before Donatello was able to snap himself out of his second frozen state in the last half hour. He ran to the rocks that hid his oldest brother from view, making a mental note to watch for any more moments of frozen fear.

He dropped to his knees, franticly scrabbling at the fist-sized chunks of stone, quickly uncovering the arm that connected that green hand to Leo's body. Raph continued to dig away at where they now knew their brother was, as Don checked for a pulse. Weak, but steady.

"He's alive." The relief in his voice was nearly palpable.

"Great. Help me get him out," Raph replied, his voice gruff with worry rather than anger.

After another minute of digging, shifting and shoving the stone off their blue-banded brother, Leo's entire upper body was uncovered. As Raph began on freeing Leo's legs, Don was checking for injuries.

Leo was semi-conscious, mumbling incoherently. _Definite concussion_, Don thought as he felt the large knot on the back of his brother's head. _But just a mild one if he is still conscious. Good, last thing he needs is to slip into another coma._

"Hey Leo," Don spoke softly, gently urging Leo to respond as he continued checking for more injuries. "Come on, bro, I need you to focus."

As if in answer, Leo's mumbles became clearer, and Don was just able to make out what he was saying. "Don . . . nie . . . R-ra . . . ph . . . Mi . . . ey . . ."

"Yeah, bro. I'm here," Don soothed. "It's okay, everything is –"

But it seemed Leo couldn't hear Don's words. "Mi'ey . . . Raph . . . D-donnie . . . calling . . . Mikey . . . Donnie . . . calling me . . . Raph . . . Mikey . . . tunnel . . . Don . . . must. . . can't . . ."

"It's no use Raph, he is in a complete daze," Donatello announced, turning to his temperamental brother who was still busy at work trying to free the young leader.

"What's wrong with him?" Raphael grunted.

"Slight concussion is making him a bit delirious, left shoulder is dislocated, multiple cracked ribs but I can't tell the full extent of those without an x-ray, no internal bleeding that I can tell, breathing labored and pulse weak, but overall not something to worry about. A few bruises and abrasions. . . Oh geez, where is this blood coming from . . . ?" Don stopped his rant to find the source of the small amount of blood pooling on the stone. Breathing a sigh of relief at what he found, he stated to his now worry-faced brother, "Don't worry, just a gash on his side. Long, but not deep. Won't even need stitches; just a wrap."

"So can we move him?" Don could hear relief in Raphael's voice too. The red-banded turtle pointed to the boulder pinning Leo's legs and lower torso. "I can't move this, but I can lift it enough fer you to pull him out."

Nodding in agreement, Don gently gripped his trapped brother around the chest, mindful of his dislocated shoulder and cracked ribs. He signaled to Raph. "Okay, on three. One . . . two . . . three."

Raph yanked up on the stone managing to lift it a few inches clear of the injured turtle, grunting in exertion. Don immediately began dragging Leo out from under the rock, only to stop dead in his tracks when said turtle cried out in pain, his mumbles becoming more panicked.

"What's . . . the hold up?" Raph growled through clenched teeth, still holding the obviously quite heavy stone.

"I-I don't know!" Don stuttered. "I think I hurt him somehow. Leo? Leo, can you tell me where it hurts?"

"No no no no. . . Don. Mike. Raph. Gotta . . . I gotta . . . have to . . . move . . . Have to get up. . . Hurts. . . Can't. . ."

Whatever injury that was causing his brother pain couldn't be treated while he was still pinned beneath the rock and he had to move him quick before Raphael lost his grip. Heaving a great sigh, Donatello came to a decision. "Sorry bro," he whispered into the mumbler's ear as he readjusted his grip on Leo.

Leo let out another pain filled cry, this time fading out into a strangled whimper as Donnie pulled him the rest of the way out of the cave-in. Raph dropped his load with a muffled crash that thankfully only sent dust falling from the ceiling.

"Oh God. Oh no," Don muttered in frantic horror.

Raph dropped to his knees beside his two brothers. "What izit? Whatsa matter, Brainiac?"

Don had Leo lying on his side, examining his carapace. "He . . . There's . . ." He stumbled to find words. Don locked his gaze with Raph's. "He has a crack in his shell. There's blood. . . Raph, it's split across his spine."

* * *

_Futurus persevero . . . _

[To be continued . . .]

* * *

_Author's Notes: See what I mean about second chapters? And I wrote this thing so quickly; I hardly had time to go over for mistakes! That is sooo unlike me. I am a perfectionist in my writing. Hope I didn't leave too many typos here. . . And then after all that, I am still ten minutes past my deadline! Oh well. . . Chapter three will be better, I promise!_

_Guys, please, feed the hungry author? Reviews, questions, suggestions, flames, whatever, just let me know you're there. I could use some suggestions for this story. I have the next few chapters mapped out in my head, but overall, the entire back end is lost from sight. I take everyone's suggestions into account. _

_And let me just say, I kind of freaked myself out a bit while writing Mikey's scene. . . Maybe that's why he was fighting me so hard! xD_

_-TheOneThatGotAway99_


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